1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to retractors used in surgery, and more specifically, to an inflatable retractor by which an internal organ or other internal body part may be retracted during endoscopic surgery.
2. Background of the Invention
The field of endoscopic surgery has been advancing rapidly in recent years. In this form of surgery, procedures are performed inside the body of a patient using instruments inserted through small incisions or ports in the body. The surgery is performed with the aid of an endoscope, which is a thin, tube-like instrument featuring a light source, viewing lenses, and/or various other attachments such as irrigators, scissors, snares, brushes or forceps. Endoscopes may be flexible or rigid, and normally utilize optic fibers to transmit light to the internal cavity. This form of surgery allows internal visualization of the body structure without the necessity of excessive dissection of tissue. Typical endoscopes are in the 5 to 12 mm diameter range and thus require only very small incisions for insertion into the body.
Endoscopic surgery has developed rapidly because of the numerous benefits arising in favor of the patient. Since there is only a small incision to permit the entrance of the endoscope and other endosurgical devices, endoscopic surgery results in less trauma to the patient's body and faster patient recovery. For the benefits of endoscopic surgery to arise, however, all aspects of the surgery, such as the initial examination, retraction of internal organs, and the surgical procedure itself, must be capable of being performed through small endoscopic incisions or ports.
Endoscopic surgery has particular utility in the field of neurosurgery where, for obvious reasons, it is especially desirable to disrupt and/or manipulate as little tissue as possible. Certain tumors, such as those of the Pineal Gland, benefit from such procedures as direct surgery can be curative for benign tumors as well as providing a generous sample for biopsies leading to a definite diagnosis. Direct surgery using traditional stereotactic or endoscopic techniques can result in complications, including EOM dysfunction, altered mental status, hemorrhage, extrapyramidal symptoms, hemiparesis, hemianopsia and seizures. Traditional endoscopic procedures are further complicated due to the use of flexible endoscopes which can be technically difficult to maneuver.
Therefore, what is needed is a minimally invasive device that would allow surgery to be safely performed on microsurgical anatomy of neurological structures, such as the pineal region of the brain. The ideal device would provide for frameless stereotactic guidance and use a rigid neuroendoscope